Be Courteous | Page 7

Mrs M. H. Maxwell
"I would pray to God
until I had better feelings; so that I could say from my _heart_, I am
glad to see you."
"O good!" exclaimed Alice, laughingly; "you are getting to be religious,
and I shall tell Fanny: so look out, little Miss Courtesy."
"You are very kind," said Emma, as she took the bright dipper of milk
from Mary. "I ate but little breakfast, and am very fond of milk. This
looks so nice too, so pure and white, in this clean, shining dipper:" and
Emma sat looking at the milk, as though it were a pity to drink it up;
and Mary stood looking at her, until she thought that perhaps it was not
polite to do so, and turned away.
"Don't go," said Emma, "unless you choose to be by yourself. Sit down
here just a minute. I have queer thoughts about this milk; and since we
are all alone, I will tell you what they are. You read the Bible, Ma--,--I
mean Miss Palmer?"
"Yes; but call me Mary, if you please. I am not used to being called
Miss."
"Well then, Mary dear," said Emma, drawing closer to her, as they sat
upon the log, "you remember where the Bible speaks of the sincere
milk of the _word_" Mary smiled; for she was much pleased, and a
little surprised. Mrs. Lindsay and her family, with their Sabbath rides
and evening dancing parties, were not of course considered religious
people. "What do you suppose," continued Emma, "is meant by the
sincere milk of the word?"
"When a very little girl," replied Mary, "father bought me a small book
called 'Milk for Babes,' and said it was for children who wanted to learn
the first principles of the doctrine of Christ. That little book was all
about charity."
"Was it?" said Emma, with animation, "how strange that I should have
the same thoughts, without knowing anything about it! When you gave
me this milk I thought of that passage, and of the one about the cup of
cold water; and now, Mary, please to say why you took all this pains
for me. Was it just to be polite?"
"No," replied Mary, smiling; "I was afraid that you might think me

_im_-polite for offering you milk in a tin dipper, but I saw you looking
pale and tired, and thought that it might do you good."
"That was giving it to me in the name of a disciple," said Emma, in a
low voice, looking at the milk again, as though it was now hallowed
and blessed of God. "It is delicious," said she, taking the cup from her
lips, "and I feel better. I am not so weary; my head aches less, and my
heart is refreshed."
"Then I have not lost my reward," said Mary. "But here come Fanny
and Alice. They are very entertaining, and the day will be less tedious if
you can manage to keep with them. Fanny is plain spoken, but people
call her a good-hearted girl; and Alice is so funny."
"If you please," replied Emma, "I had rather be with you. I am not
afraid of plain-spoken people, if they are kind. Dora is very careful to
tell me my faults, but then her manner is such that I can't help feeling
that it is because she loves me so well; so I am neither pained nor
vexed. I used to be very partial to funny people; but I feel serious now
nearly all of the time. I can love Fanny and Alice; but, Mary dear, I had
rather be with you, if you please."
"O," replied Mary, "I love to have you with me."
She was prevented from saying more, for Alice now called out,
"Forward, march! Do you hear the drum?"
"It is not probable," said Fanny, "that a religious person like Mary
Palmer will march to the tune of Yankee Doodle upon a kettle-drum."
Emma looked at Mary, and saw the deep blush upon her face, and the
tear that, in spite of herself, trembled in her mild blue eye.
"How unkind," thought Emma, "and so rude too! This plain-spoken girl
has not a good heart, if people do think so. I shall ask Dora about her."
"It is the signal for dinner," said Mary, recovering herself in a minute,
and turning with a smile toward Emma. "Henry wants us to go to the
wagons." So they walked along arm-in-arm, while Alice and Fanny
whispered together about this sudden intimacy, and prophesied that hot
love like that would soon be cold.
"I mean to tell Mary just what I think of it," said Fanny; "for I am not
afraid to speak my mind to anybody."
"Well," replied Alice, "I cannot imagine what Miss Emma likes
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